known as the point where Stony Creek and the Little Conemaugh
form the Conemaugh the mountains followed by Stony Creek take an abrupt
turn northward, and the waters of the Little Conemaugh flow into the
Conemaugh at right angles with these mountains.

A few hundred feet below this point the Pennsylvania Railroad bridge
crosses the Conemaugh River. The bridge is a massive stone structure.
From the east end of the bridge there is a heavy fill of from thirty to
forty feet high to Johnstown Station, a distance of a quarter of a mile.

Within a few feet of the station a wagon bridge crosses the Little
Conemaugh, five hundred feet above the point connecting the "flats" and
the country upon the north side of the river.

The Cambria Iron Company's Bessemer department lies along the north bank
of the Conemaugh, commencing at the fill, and extends for over two miles
down the Conemaugh River upon its northern bank.

Below the Cambria Iron Company's property is Millville Borough, and on
the hill back of Millville Borough is Minersville properly--the Second
ward of Millville Borough.

The First ward of Millville was washed away completely.

While the damage from a pecuniary sense was large, the loss of life was
quite small, inasmuch as the people had timely warning to escape.

Below the Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge at Johnstown, upon the south bank
of the Conemaugh, was the large settlement of Cambria. It had a
population of some five thousand people. At Cambria the mountain
retreats for several hundred feet, leaving a level of two or three
hundred acres in extent. Just below the bridge the Conemaugh River makes
a wide curve around this level. About eight or nine hundred houses stood
upon this level.

Below Cambria stands Morrellville, a place about equal in size to
Cambria.

From this description of the location of Johnstown and neighboring
settlements the course of the waters may be better understood when
described. It was about ten minutes to three o'clock Friday afternoon
when Mr. West, of the local office of the Pennsylvania Railroad at
Johnstown, received a dispatch from the South Fork station, advising him
to notify the inhabitants that the big dam in the South Fork, above the
city, was about to break. He at once despatched couriers to various
parts of the city, and a small section was notified of the impending
danger. The messenger was answered with,

"We will wait until we see the water."

Others called "Chest